Cleaning brush for carding machines



Feb. 15,1966 F.REITERER 3,234,599

CLEANING BRUSH FOR GARDING MACHINES Filed July 11, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 STOP INVENTOR. 42 FERDINAND REITERER his ATTORNEYS Feb. 15., 1966 Filed July 11, 1962 F. REITERER 3,234,599

CLEANING BRUSH FOR CARDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 2A INVENTOR. FERDINAND REITERER United States Patent ()fifice 3,234,599 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 9 Claims. (c1. 19108) This invention relates to rotary brush-es for cleaning the various operating components of fiber processing machines and, more particularly, to a new and improved cleaning brush provided with a safety device to avoid damage resulting from clogging of the brush.

Customarily, rotating brushes are mounted adjacent to the working components of a fiber processing machine, such as a carding machine, to clean the toothed clothing of the components. These brushes generally consist of a cylinder covered with a clothing made of fine needles of hardened steel which pass close to the clothing teeth to remove fibers and impurities from them, the fibers and impurities subsequently being thrown off the cleaning brush by centrifugal force.

Occasionally, however, some fibers are retained onthe brush despite the centrifugal force and other fibers become attached to the retained fibers so that a layer accumulates on the periphery of the brush clothing generating substantial friction with the component which is being cleaned. Eventually, the accumulated fibers become detached from the brush and form a large bundle which may be deposited on the surface of the clothing being cleaned and carried thereby tothe point of tangency with another component where it can not only disrupt the lap of fibers being processed and damage the clothing of the components, but it may even catch fire as a result of continuous friction with the moving components. Moreover, because the working components of a carding machine have a high inertia and rotate at a relatively high speed, it is practically impossible to stop them rapidly enough to prevent damage after a bundle of fibers has been detached from the cleaning brush.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cleaning brush arrangement for fiber processing machines whereby the above-mentioned disadvantages of conventional cleaning brushes are effectively overcome.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning brush arrangement whereby accumulation of fibers on the cleaning brush is substantially eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety device for cleaning brushes of the above character which terminates operation of the machine before any accumulated bundle of fibers becomes detached from the brush.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by providing, in conjunction with a rotary cleaning brush, a member arranged to detect the accumulation of fibers on the brush and a control device responsive to the actuation of the detecting member for terminating the operation of the machine. Preferably, the detecting member comprises a rotatable shaft having projections which are urged toward and normally engage the needles of. the brush, but which can be pivoted away from the brush by contact with any accumulation of fibers thereon. To assist in removing fibers from the brush, the shaft with its projections is oscillated in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the brush. Also, the control device responds to pivoting of the shaft so as to permit operation of the machine as long as the projections engage the brush needles and to turn 'ofi the machine when the projections are forced away from the needles.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a portion of a carding machine utilizing a typical cleaning brush arrangement according to the invention;

- FIG. 2A is a view in section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows i1- lustrating the brush arrangement of FIG. 1 in elevation view;

' FIG. 2B is a view similar to that of FIG. 2Ashowing the position of the detecting member when actuated; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the electrical connectionns between the control device and the driving elements of the machine.

In the representative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a brush cylinder 10 supported for rotation adjacent to a Working component 11 of a carding machine having a toothed clothing 12, carries on its outer surface a helically wound strip 13 covered with a large number-of flexible metallic needles 14, so as to form a rotary cleaning brush of the usual type. As in conventional cleaning brushes, these needles extend outwardly far enough to pass between the teeth of the clothing 12 on the adjacent component 11, thereby removing any fibers which have been retained by the teeth, and they are inclined in the direction opposite to the direction of motion of the brush 10.

Adjacent to the periphery of the rotary brush is a shaft 15 mounted in bearings 16 and 17 on a support shaft 18 for limited angular motion about an axis parallel to that of the brush 10. In order to detect accumulations of fibers on the brush and also to facilitate removal of fibers therefrom, a series of spaced rectangular fins 19 is rigidly afiixed to the shaft 15 and these fins project radially toward the periphery of the brush and they are urged toward the brush by an eccentric weight 20, also mounted on the shaft 15. With the shaft held in its normal position, shownin FIG. 2A, by the weight 20 resting against a stop (not shown), these fins extend between the needles of the brush and those needles which are engaged by the fins are deflected as they pass so as to aid in dislodging fibers, the needles being sufficiently resilient to return to their normal positions after deflection. Any appreciable accumulation of fibers on the periphery of the brush,

' however, will engage the fins 19 and force them outwardly, thereby turning the shaft 15 to the position shown in FIG. 2B.

In order to stop the machine when the shaft 15 has been pivoted, a switch box 21 containing two mercury switches 22 and 23 is also mounted on the shaft 15. With the shaft in the normal position shown in FIG. 2A, the switch 22 is closed, completing a circuit through two conductors 24 and 25 which lead to an operating control relay shown in FIG. 3, and the switch 23 is opened, disconnecting two conductors 26 and 27 which are connected 3 to a shut-down relay, as also shown in FIG. 3. After an accumulation has been detected and the shaft 15 is tilted in the manner shown in FIG. 2B, the switch 22 is opened and the switch 23 closed.

To facilitate the removal of fibers from the rotary brush 10, a longitudinal oscillation is imparted to the shaft 18 which is slidably supported in the opposite sides 28 and 29 of the machine frame. As shown in FIG. 1, this is accomplished by a rotary cam member 30 which drives the shaft through a roller 31 atfixed to one end, the other end being biased by a spring 32 to hold the roller against the cam. Preferably, the amplitudeof this os-' cillatory motion is great enough to assure that all the needles 14 in the brush are engaged by the fins 19 at one time or another. If desired, a rubber scraper 33 may be mounted on the shaft 18 so as to scrape the surface of an unclothed component cylinder 34 which may, for example, be a smooth-surfaced web detaching cylinder of the type described in my copending United States application Serial No. 141,132, filed September 27, 1961, for

servomotor 40 controlling the driving components of the I machine is connected through the normally'open cor.- tacts of the relay 37 to turn in one direction when these contacts are closed, thereby causing the driving components to operate the machine in the normal manner. When the normally opened contacts of the relay 39 are closed, they connect the motor to run in the opposite direction so as to turn off the operating components and shut down the machine. In addition, the relay 39 includes a normally closed contact 41 which supplies energy when the relay 39 is unenergized to a further relay coil 42 which controls the feeding of fibers to the machine.

In operation, if there is no accumulation of fibers on the brush 10, the weight 20 causes the fins 19 to engage the needles 14 so that the switch 22 is open and the switch 23 closed. As shown in FIG. 3, this drives the servomotor 40 in the direction to keep the machine inthe running condition and energizes the relay 42 causing fibers to be supplied to the machine. Moreover, as the machine operates, the shaft 18 is oscillated parallel to the axis of the brush so that the fins 19 successively engage all the needles 14 and facilitate the removal of fibers therefrom. If a suflicient quantity of fibers accumulates on the brush 10 to force the fins 19 out of engagement I with the needles against the force of the weight 20, the

switch 22 is opened and the switch 23 closed. This changes the energization of the relay coils 36' and 38 reversing the direction of motion of the servomotor 40- and causing the machine to stop. At the same time, the feeding of fibers to the machine is terminated by opening of the normally closed relay contact 41.

Although the invention has been described herein with reference to a specific embodiment, many modifications and variations therein will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, all such variations and modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cleaning a working component of a fiber processing machine comprising rotary brush means Pneumatic Web Removal in Carding Machines, now

flecting means toward the periphery of the brush means, and oscillating means for reciprocating the deflecting means in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary brush means.

2. In combination with a fiber processing machine comprising a working component and a cylinder, an apparatus for cleaning said component and cylinder comprising rotary brush means having a plurality of needles which engage the surface of the working component, deflecting means engaging the needles so as to displace them temporarily as the brush means rotates and thereby facilitate removal of material therefrom, and oscillating means for reciprocating the deflecting means in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary brush means, wherein the deflecting means comprises a member supported adjacent to the periphery of the brush means and a plurality of projecting elements extending from the memher to engage the needles, and resilient scraper means mounted on the member supported adjacent to the periphery of the brush means and engaging the surface of the cylinder to clean it.

3; Apparatus for cleaning a working component of a fiber processing machine comprising rotary brush means having a plurality of needles which engage the surface of the working component, deflecting means engaging the needles so as to displace them temporarily as the brush means rotates and thereby facilitate removal of material therefrom, and oscillating means for reciprocating the deflecting means in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary brush means, wherein the deflecting means comprises a member supported adjacent to the periphery of the brush means and a plurality of projecting elements extending from the member to engage the needles, and the member on which the projecting elements are mounted is supported for angular motion to permit motion of the projecting elements toward and away having a plurality of needles which engage the surface of the Working component, deflecting means engaging the needles so as to displace them temporarily as the brush means rotates and thereby facilitate removal of material therefrom, the deflecting means being supported for angular motion to permit movement toward and away from the periphery of the brush means, means for urging the -defrom the periphery of the brush means, and including means for urging the projecting elements toward the periphery of the brush means. a

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 including control means responsive to angular motion of the member in the direction moving the projecting elements away from the periphery of the brush means to terminate operation of the machine.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of the projecting elements comprises a fin-like member which is narrow in the direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary brush means. c

6. Apparatus for cleaning a working component of a fiber processing machine comprising rotary brush means having a plurality of needles which engage the surface of the working component, brush engaging means normally engaging the needles of the brush at selected locations thereon but movable out of engagement therewith in response to accumulation of material at at least one of the selected locations thereon, and control means responsive to motion of the brush engaging means out of engagement with the brush means to terminate operation of the machine.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the brush engaging means comprises a member mounted for angular motion about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the brush means and a plurality of projecting elements normally engaging the brush means but movable by contact with accumulated material thereon to pivot the memher.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the control means comprises first switch means responsive to motion of the brush engaging means and effective to maintain operation of the machine when the brush engaging means is in engagement with the brush means and second switch means responsive to motion of the brush engaging means and effective to terminate operation of the machine when the brush engaging means to moved away from the brush means. a

5 6 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including further FOREIGN PATENTS switch means responsive to motion of the brush engag- 1039 023 5/1953 Hausa ing means and effective to stop the feeding of fibrous ma- 1,022 1868 Great Britain terial to the machine when the brush engaging means is 13383 1902 Great Britain moved away from the brush means. 5 126:877 5/1919 Great Britain 236,757 7/ 1925 Great Britain.

References (Iited by the Examiner 418,260 10/1934 Great Britain UNITED STATES PATENTS 569,602 5/1945 Great Britain.

966,565 8/1910 Koref 19108 53,575 11 1953 Dudley 19 2 5 X 10 DONALD PARKER, Prlmary Examiner- 3,092,875 6/1963 McLean 19--.23 

1. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A WORKING COMPONENT OF A FIBER PROCESSING MACHINE COMPRISING ROTARY BRUSH MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES WHICH ENGAGE THE SURFACE OF THE WORKING COMPONENT, DEFLECTING MEANS ENGAGING THE NEEDLES SO AS TO DISPLACE THEM TEMPORARILY AS THE BRUSH MEANS ROTATES AND THEREBY FACILITATE REMOVAL OF MATERIAL THEREFROM, THE DEFLECTING MEANS BEING SUPPORTED FOR ANGULAR MOTION TO PERMIT MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE BRUSH MEANS, MEANS FOR URGING THE DEFLECTING MEANS TOWARD THE PERIPHERY OF THE BRUSH MEANS, AND OSCILLATING MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE DEFLECTING MEANS IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE ROTARY BRUSH MEANS. 